ABSTRACT
The term presswork is used here to describe the process in which force is applied to sheet metal with the result that the metal is cut, as in blanking and piercing, or is formed to a different shape as in bending. The press used may be manually operated by hand or by foot and used for light work or it may be power operated, usually by mechanical or hydraulic means, and capable of high rates of production. The primary objective of the use of work equipment regulations (PUWER) is to ensure that no work equipment, including power presses, gives rise to risks to health and safety regardless of the work equipments, age, condition and origin. In blanking and piercing operations the work material, placed in the press tool, is cut by a shearing action between the adjacent sharp edges of the punch and the die.
